Chapter 18 - Convenience Food Flashcards
Advantages of convenience foods.
● Quick and easy to prepare
● Can be stored and used for emergencies like during
times of war and famine
● Use little fuel for cooking
● Additional nutrients added
● Useful for cooks with limited skills
● Can be stored for a longer period of time
● Some are easy to carry around and can be used for
camping and picnics
Disadvantages of convenience foods.
● High in fat, sugar, salt, low in NSP
● High in additives
● May be less nutritious due to the loss of nutrients
during food processing; natural flavour not retained
● May be more expensive than fresh foods because of
the extra cost of preparation and packaging
● The use of materials such as plastic wrap and
containers for packaging and distribution is harmful
to the environment. Recycling of these packages
can help to reduce wastage
Guidelines on storing food.
● Store onions, garlic, ginger, bananas, root and stem
vegetables at room temperature, away from
sunlight.
● Store canned and dry food in a cool and dry place or
in the refrigerator.
● Meat, poultry and seafood should be packed into
smaller portions and kept in the freezer or chiller
compartment of the refrigerator.
● Dairy products should be kept in the chiller
compartment of the refrigerator.
● Cooked food should be covered and kept in the
chiller compartment of the refrigerator.
● Fruit and vegetables should be kept in the crisper
compartment of the refrigerator.
What are the different types of convenience food.
● Frozen: peas / ice cream / fish fingers / beef
burgers, etc.
● Canned: peaches / salmon / baked beans-corned beef etc.
● Dried: instant dessert / custard powder / stock cubesmilk, etc.
● Ready to eat: biscuits / potato crisps / meat pies etc
● Ready to cook: pasta-prepared vegetables / filleted
fish
● Bottled: ketchup / fruit juice /pasta sauces
How to make healthy family meals with convenience food.
Always add fresh foods to any convenience food to prepare a more nutritious meal.
● Canned vegetables should be used together with
fresh vegetables to make up for any loss of vitamins
and minerals during production.
● Fresh vegetables should be added to canned meat
to increase vitamins e.g. vitamin C and dietary fibre
content
● Frozen fish fingers (a source of protein) can be grilled
and served with a vegetable salad (source of dietary
fibre) and wholemeal bread.(a source of
carbohydrate)
Importance of packaging food products.
● to protect from damage during storage and transport / easier to transport / safe transportation / stacking
● to provide information to consumer, e.g. nutrition
● to attract customers / enhance appearance
● to prevent tampering
● can be used during the reheating of food
● to reduce waste by protecting from damage, e.g.
eggs in cartons
● to increase the shelf life of foods / to extend the life
of a product, e.g. by canning
● to enable some foods can to be sold in prescribed
amounts, e.g. butter
● to enable hygienic storage / to prevent
contamination from dust, flies, pests and bacteria
Importance of labelling food products.
● name of product – so consumer knows what is being
bought
● description – further details, e.g. tuna in brine / oil
● name of manufacture – reliability / know what to
expect
● contact details – in case of complaints / compliments
● ingredients – descending order – by weight – may
have allergy information
● cooking instructions / instructions for use – for best
results
● storage instruction – to maintain quality
● place of origin – some people may not want to buy
products from a particular country
● date stamp / use by date – to know how long the
food is going to last
● serving suggestion – to give ideas to consumer
● picture of product – to know what the consumer can
expect
● weight / volume – to calculate unit cost / make
comparisons
Use of food and nutrition labels.
● compare price
● compare nutritional value
● plan diets to meet nutritional needs of specific
people
● plan varied, interesting and healthy meals
● monitor and keep track of nutrient intake
Guidelines of buying convenience food.
● check the expiry dates of food products.
● check the packaging of food product to ensure that
they are tightly sealed and not damaged or torn.
● Do not buy canned food which are rusty, dented or
bloated.
● Do not buy frozen food which have excessive or
large ice cyrstals on them.
Define what is ready-to-eat food.
It can be eaten straightaway as they do not require preparation work or cooking. Most bottled or canned food are considered ready-to-eat food.
Define what is ready-to-cook food.
It require some preparation work and cooking before they can be consumed. They may either be in dried or frozen form.
Define what is dried food.
Dried food are dehydrated or dried to remove most of the moisture content through evaporation. The lack of moisture in these food prevents food spoilage as microorganisms are not able to survive without survive.
Define what is bottled and canned food.
They are usually processed and filled into individual bottles and cans. They are sealed and heated at a high temperature to kill microorganisms. Most bottled or canned food can be eaten without cooking.
Define what is ready-prepared meals.
They are complete one-dish meals which are precooked to kill microorganisms. These meals are packed and stored at a room temperature or frozen. The usually require heating in microwave or convection oven before they can be eaten.
Define what is frozen food.
They are kept in cold storage at temperature below -18 degrees. When food is frozen, the moisture in it turns into ice crystals. Without moisture, microorganisms are not able to survive well in the food.
